Life-preserver.



Patented Tune 28, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER TANN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LIFE-PRESERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,518, dated June 28, 1904.

.Application filed March 8, 1904. Serial No. 197,068. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER TANN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is a specification, refer ence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in life-preservers, and relates more particularly to that class known as pneumatic or inflatable devices for sustaining persons on the surface of the water.

My invention is designed to provide an improved means of adjusting and securingthe device to the body of the wearer, consisting, essentially, in extending the inner casing or tubing-protector upwardly and forming the latter so as to receive the strap for adjusting the device about the body of the wearer, and, further, in the crotch-retaining means which encircle the body of the device and are prevented from revoluble movement with respect to the device-body.

With the above and other objects in view my invention further resides in the combination of parts and mode of construction to be further specifically set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts of both views, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention, showing the crotch-supporting strap; and Fig. 2 is a centralvertical sectional view thereof.

In the drawings, 1 designates the inflatable inner tube, provided with the usual valve 2, by means of which the said inner tube may be subjected to or removed from air-pressure, this tube, as shown, being of annular form and of a size to accomodate the body of the wearer. The outer casing or protector is formed of tWo pieces each of ring-like form, leather being preferably employed as the material, though this is optional and no restriction is placed upon the material. As just stated, the outer casing is formed of two pieces, designated at 2 and 3, the section 3 being of a slightly greater width than the section 2, these sections being stitched to one another, as designated at 4. the inner end of the section 3 being extended upwardly in a vertical plane, as indicated at 5, and the section 2 at its inner end is slightly upturned, as indicated at 6,

'and stitched to'the base ef the vertical portion 5 of the section3, as indicated at 7 In order to enable the upturned portion 5 of the section 3 to be adjusted about the body of the wearer, I preferably form the same into a plurality of divisions, in the present example the same being divided into four sections, (indicated at 8. 9 10 11,) these sections being formed by slitting the upturned end of the member 3 in the form of a V, as indicated at 12, this enabling the extremity .of the upturned portion 5 of the member 3 at the several divisions thereof to be readily moved inwardly about the body of the wearer. To enable this adjustment to be effected, I preferably slit each of the members or divisions 8 9 1011 adjacent their extremities, as indicated at 14 14, thus enabling the adjustingstrap 15 to be passed through each of the slits, as indicated. I

The crotch member consists of a U-shaped portion 16, preferably formed of an integral piece of material whose ends are turned inwardly and stitched to each other, as indicated at 17, the extremities of the legs of the U being continued upwardly in divergent lines, as indicated at 18 19, at their upper ends retaining the buckles 20 21. As will be noted from Fig. 1 of the drawings, each of the straps 18 '19, forming continuations of the crotch member 16, are secured to the body of the device, and to effect this securement I provide bands 22 23, one for each of the said straps, which form continuations of the crotch member, these bands encircling the body of the device and having their ends considerably reduced in width, as shown, one of the ends being passed through apertures 24 25, formed at the base of the upturned portion 5 of section 3,thus preventing any shifting or other movement of the said bands. The inner ends of the bands are first passed through the buckles 2O 21, thus securing the same to the strap 18 19, after which the body of the band is passed about the device-body and its outer or other end like- Wise passed through and secured to the tongue of the buckle. In the above I have merely described the construction of one side of the crotch member and its coacting part, inasmuch as the other side thereof is an identical duplicate in all respects.

The above illustrates the most practical embodiment of my invention which suggests itself at the present time, though it is manifest that slight details may be readily altered and modified Without departing from the general spirit and scope ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the type set forth comprising a body with a covering therefor, said cover being formed in sections, one of the sections having its end turned upwardly and formed With slits providing a plurality of members, the other section being secured to the lastnamed section at the base of said upturned portion, means for adjusting said members, and means passing through the base of said upturned portion and secured to the body for forming a crotch-engaging member.

2. A device of the type set forth comprising a body having a sectional covering, said sections being secured to each other, with the end of one of the sections extending beyond the inner end of the other section, said extended end being divided, With means for adjusting said divisions, a crotch member, and means for securing the said member to said body, said securing means passing through said extended end.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER TANN. I

' Witnesses:

' HENRY RUDOLPH,

SAMUEL SWANsAN. 

